Elements of Eien
by JunsuiFushichou
Summary: [AU FIC] Four girls have obtained the elements of the Eien River. But now, four handsome detectives have come to investigate the truth about it. Will they reveal their secrets? Plenty of OOC. [Pairings: NaruHina, SasuSaku, ShikaIno, NejiTen]
1. Chapter 1

HI! WELCOME TO MY NEW STORY! The third chapter serial of mine. Yeah, I know on my profile that I would start it near the end of Cherished but… I need to entertain myself somehow. SO I'll start this story then!

HOPE YOU ENJOY IT! REVIEWS PLEASE NEGATIVES AND POSITIVES!

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A brown haired girl stood by the riverbank. It was sunset and it had been a tiring day for her. After all, how many people in this world can control the element of nature? Not many, by her thought. Her peach skin slid into the calm waters and it bathed her wounds.

Suddenly, a huge dragon formed of water appeared. Tenten sighed and sent a vine swaying nearby to crash into it. The two moving elements clashed and starting battling.

"Hinata, what was that for?" Tenten turned around to face a short indigo haired girl meditating on a large rock. Hinata opened one eye and grinned.

"Tenten, Chilax. It was just for fun. AND I'm meditating too, we've gotta concentrate on controlling it." She said calmly, her pastel skin glowing in the orange sunlight. How long has it been, since they acquired these powers?

Meanwhile, the two components finished the battle (Hinata's being the victorious one) and left Tenten fuming on why she had gotten such a lousy element.

Abruptly, heat could be felt around the two. They looked at each other with wide eyes and ducked. A large fireball had soared above the river bank at the two friends. It had burnt two trees on its path.

"Woops, SORRY GUYS! DIDN'T SEE YA!" A pink haired girl came rushing to Tenten and Hinata. Her hair was short, cut around her neck and her green orbs fluttered nervously.

"Sakura, next time, WATCH WHERE YOU'RE AIMING!" A blonde haired girl with sky blue eyes popped from behind Sakura who was examining the vegetation around the bank.

"Tch. Say that to the one who can't even hit a simple target with lightening…" Sakura muttered.

"Anyway, dinner's ready! I made some veggie soup!" Ino cried, running off into the north west direction.

"Noo not Ino's cooking!" Tenten complained, getting out of the water. Her clothes weren't wet thanks to Hinata's aid of creating a field around Tenten's petite body. The four friends then headed out towards their small home, hidden in nature of the Beneyume Forest. (A/N: Bene is Crimson while Yume is Dream for those people who don't understand jap stuff. NOTE: I ain't jap myself, so don't feel lonely)

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**PAST **

_Tenten, Hinata, Sakura and Ino have been friends ever since they were born. Their parents had abandoned them in the lowliest part of town to let them fend for themselves when they were four. All four grew up like sisters and found their way through the forest that lay on the east side of the town when they were 12. As they trekked through the flora of the blooming forest, they came upon a small waterfall that led to a small dewpond that was covered by rocks. (IMAGINE the place where Hinata was training in the filler when Naruto saw her training… Something along the looks of that) _

_Each girl dove into the pool, Ino being last of her fear of her parents drowning her in their bathtub one time. _

_At the bottom of the minute pool, was a small chest. Tenten had dragged it out of the pure liquid and opened it to find four small gems. An emerald, a sapphire, ruby and lastly a golden topaz. Each of the girls took one; Tenten took the emerald, Hinata the sapphire, Sakura the ruby and Ino the topaz. They held it within their palms to have a bright light shine out of the precious jewel, every female falling unconscious…_

_When they all woke up, a tattoo had appeared on each of their bodies. Tenten had hers on her lower neck. Hinata had found hers on her lower left arm close to the wrist. Sakura had hers near her heart (The place where Izumi from FMA has it) while Ino had hers on her right thigh. The tattoo was coloured by the gem and was etched onto their skin like as though the gem itself had sunk itself into each girl's body. _

_Nightfall had come, each girl shivering and chattering their teeth. As soon as Sakura rubbed her hand together, a flicker of flame emitted. _

"_SAKURA! Rub your hands again!" Tenten told her. Sakura did, except did it longer this time. A whole tongue of flame appeared on top of Sakura's hands. _

"_WHAT THE…?" Sakura panicked. Tenten pointed at Sakura dumbstruck and accidentally sent some shrubs at Sakura's face. The plants caught on fire and the group ran around wildly. Hinata went to pool to get some water with her bare hands and flung it on Sakura. Not one drop fell to the floor when Hinata held it in her hands. Ino stared astonishingly at Hinata and tried to grab some water too. Instead, a spark came from her hand and shocked the water with a BUZZ. Ino shrieked while Hinata stood there staring at her hand whereas Tenten and Sakura were still running around witlessly. _

_Midnight struck from the large clock tower placed in the middle of the town. Sakura had stopped the blaze of the shrubs and her hands were surprisingly warm to the fire she had created by rubbing her hands together with some dry wood. Tenten had calmed down a bit still alarmed about her sending the plants on Sakura. Ino sat there, clicking her fingers which created electricity spark. Hinata sat by the water scooping the cool water with her bare hands, not one single drop of water descent onto the damp grass. _

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The next day, Tenten had found a small hut close to the waterfall. It was old and dusty but well maintained. She rummaged through boxes and chests that were packed in all the rooms. She found a heap of clean kimonos which were only available in four colours; green, red, purple and blue. Each of them tried it on and it fitted perfectly. They began to live inside the small shack, wondering what was happening in the real world outside of the forest.

It was months until they found out they had gained an element. Tenten had wondered into town and borrowed a book from the local library about the forest. Along the way, she had caught the eye of a pearl eyed boy who was looking at her from behind a shelf on Martial Arts. The book had said that the river that was there for more than 200 years was called the River of Eternity. The forest was called the Beneyume Forest, of the strange things lurking in the shadows of it.

A legend was said that four sisters had planted a small chest inside the forest. They had magical powers and their powers were embedded into four gems. The four sisters each had the start of their name to add to the name of the forest; Be from the oldest, Ne for the second, Yu from the third and Me from the youngest.

Tenten had gained Nature, element of the older sister, Be. Sakura obtained Ne, who resulted in use of Fire. Ino attained Lightening from Yu and Hinata, being the youngest of the group, acquired Water.

But that was five years ago, each of them were 17 years of age. The small group had mastered each of their elements perfectly and skillfully. They continued to live in the small house covered by the surrounding trees and ivy. Tenten had placed them there because of outsiders who could've seen the house and found four girls living there with the four main elements. Of course, EVERYONE would like to have a glimpse of the AMAZING females who could send plants or fire or water or even lightening in your face.

One day, Sakura had found a poster pinned up behind the house. She carefully brought it in, not attempting to set it afire. She examined it and it clearly said that; Fire afraid of Water, Water afraid of Lightening, Lightening afraid of Nature, Nature afraid of Fire. She left it up on the kitchen wall where all her best friends could see.

**END PAST**

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**PRESENT**

"No no no!" Sakura stumbled along the town foot path, her whole body laden down with shopping bags. It was her turn to be cooking this week as all four of them took turns. Last week was Ino's turn and all she bought were either instant noodles or heat up food, since she was hopeless at cooking.

The tower chime started ringing. It was 6pm, which was too late for their dinner time. Her pale red kimono raced along with her as she rushed down the deserted streets. She turned a corner and accidentally bumped into someone. He grunted as she fell down over him. He was wearing a dark blue collar shirt and black pants. Over them, he had a midnight blue cloak to protect himself from the winter cold. His raven hair was messily combed, showing that he too, was in a rush.

"Ah! Sorry!" Sakura went up immediately and gathered her bags. She bowed down low and headed off in her direction once again. The male sat there clumsily, staring at the girl's retreating back.

"_Hey, she was cute…"_ He thought. He hit his head after that thought.

"Oi! Uchiha! Hurry up, we're going!" The said boy turned to his chocolate haired friend who held out a hand for him.

"Thanks Neji," Sasuke stood up and brushed his clothes. He straightened himself up and went into the cart.

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Sakura kept running until she came to the opening of the Beneyume forest. A red horse stood there, tied to a tree. The horse whinnied as she neared. She pet him until he calmed down, whispering the words,

"Shh Kahichi. I'm here…" She murmured into the horse's ear. It soothed him down slowly and she mounted him. The horse galloped into the forest gallantly, passing the plants and wildlife. She halted when Tenten came into view, on board Shizenchi, her brown horse. She pulled Kahichi back.

"WHOA! Tenten, what are you doing here!" Sakura asked her life long friend. Tenten had a stern face on.

"Duh! IT'S ALMOST 6.30!" Tenten screamed suddenly. Sakura backed away and dashed past Tenten.

"SAKURA!" Tenten sent a whole pack of vines after the pink haired girl. Sakura swiftly turned and snapped her fingers. Flames shot out of nowhere and burnt the vines to a dead crisp.

"OI! I'M STARVING!" Ino's voice could be heard 200 meters away. Sakura rolled her eyes as Tenten came next to her.

"Come on, you know today's a special day…" Tenten muttered. Sakura nodded and trotted towards the small house that lay in the middle of Beneyume Forest.

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WOW! LONG CHAPTER!

Yes I changed my pen name to KieruMinazuki which simply means Fading Crescent in kanji or something else.

And YES! I tried to name the horses after each elements with "chi" at the end.

So Hinata's will be Mizuchi, Ino's Inazumachi, Tenten as Shizenchi and Sakura's Kahichi.

SO is that all you need to know?

VERY WEELL

KieruMinazuki alias FadingCrescent


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two of Elements of Eien.

And to answer those reviews;

Earth is pretty much the same as nature in my story, but Tenten can control both.

I chose lightening because I wanted the four primary colours which are blue, green, red and yellow. So I chose lightening. AND AND AND, I couldn't choose a good element for the colour purple.

NOW ON WITH THE STORY.

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Sasuke sat on his horse dreamily. He could remember the touch of the girl who he had met minutes ago. Her soft pink hair and her fragile body looked so frail. She was cute, to his checklist.

"Hey, Uchiha, what's up with you today?" Sasuke broke out of his train of thoughts as soon as he heard the pearl eyed boy beside him speak.

"Nothing," Sasuke muttered back, gazing at the road ahead of them. The four boys were heading to the "Boss's" house, where their next assignment was due to be handed to them.

Uchiha Sasuke and his friends were members of the great detective league, Kuro Tsumi, meaning "Black Sin".

There's Hyuuga Neji, the pearl eyed boy with chocolate brown hair. He was a calm, collected teenager. His parents left him in the care of his uncle when he was still a young boy. He is searching for his long lost cousin who was abandoned by the family years ago.

Nara Shikamaru, the strategist of the team. He is a rank higher than all of them but nonetheless, the laziest. He had black hair and brown eyes. His IQ is over 200 but yet, says it's too bothersome to do such a thing like writing in an office. He is loyal to his friends and a very trustworthy person.

Lastly, Uzumaki Naruto. The loud mouth. The annoying one. But still, a great detective, like his three friends. He joined the Kuro Tsumi in order to make everyone acknowledge him, for they believed that Naruto's mum was a witch. They said that she controlled water and sent a family who accused her to their deaths. He wants to find information and confirm that his mother didn't have the power of water.

Uchiha Sasuke. A great investigator and a member of the great Uchiha clan which was made of immense detectives. The legacy ended when the family was murdered, leaving only Sasuke and his older brother Itachi behind. Itachi is now off to find the murderer, leaving Sasuke back at Konoha. So Sasuke decided to do some good and became a detective, being assigned in his group.

The small group halted at the main building. It was huge, with a large analog clock on the top of the tower. They tied their horses up and went into the building, full of desks and paperwork. They threaded their way through the mess and arrived at the Boss's office. Neji knocked three times and entered, his three friends following him.

"Ah, you're here…" The black leather chair turned around and there revealed a man smoking a cigarette. This was Sarutobi Asuma, son of the creator of the Kuro Tsumis.

"Well, your next mission is to investigate the forest of Beneyume. There will be information of elements (Naruto's eyebrow raising) and there has been rumors that four girls live there." Asuma explained, his fingers interlaced upon the table.

"See Kakashi for your mission papers. You will have as much time as you need," Asuma finished with a wave of his hand. The four detectives nodded and left the room, heading for the office beside them.

"Yo," Kakashi greeted them, placing the files he had been reading on the desk in front of him. The four teenagers bowed. Kakashi headed to his cabinet and pulled out a folder.

"I was reading through them before. There used to be a book in the library about the forest, but somehow, it disappeared." Kakashi described. He lifted the file he was reading again and giggled as he read. Sasuke and Neji raised a brow. Naruto flipped the file over and instead of paperwork, it was Icha Icha Paradise.

They left the area fuming. They headed towards their horses and mounted them. Then, they set of in the direction of the daunting Beneyume forest.

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Sakura sighed and flicked her hair away. She seethed as she cut up the ingredients and chucked them in the bubbling cauldron. Today was the day that the four of them had found the gems. As the result, they made this day their anniversary to go and cleanse the waterfall with herbs and scent they collected from the forest flora. Sakura was always the one to create the mixture as she knew of the correct way. Hinata was too busy worshipping Me at the fountain, Ino was horrible at even lighting up the oven. Tenten had promised she would never hurt any flower OR herb that grew in the forest. So, Sakura was the only one left, as she was Nature's fear. She stirred the concoction wearily. Sakura sniffed it and made a face as soon as the waft hit her nose.

"You shouldn't be sniffing that Sakura, you'll get poisoned." Sakura turned to see Tenten coming through the door, holding flowers of all sorts. Sakura stuck her tongue out at Tenten and continued her job. Sakura and Tenten were always the closest, as they were the first ones to have been abandoned. After that came Hinata who came shortly after and lastly Ino, who was deserted at five.

Ino burst through the door after Tenten, holding fruits and more flowers to be placed by the waterfall. Hinata was still at the Eien river, praying silently, as the river flowed by like the time of life.

"Sakura, is the potion ready?" Ino asked, placing the flowers and fruits on the table.

"It sounds like as though you're referring me as a witch. And yes, the "Potion" is ready," Sakura retorted jadedly, her emerald eyes showing hints of fatigue. Sakura picked up the cauldron, which was burning hot, but it didn't seem to affect her at all. When she came outside, Tenten instructed the vines to carry the sparkling pot to the Eien river. Then, the worshipping began. (A/N: I won't bother describing it…It's too troublesome)

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Neji and his dun coloured mare, Natsukaze galloped through the silent town of Konoha. Everyone was deathly afraid of the so called "witches" in the Beneyume forest, fearing if they stayed out late, the witches will come and murder them.

Neji chuckled softly, knowing his uncle too was scared of them. They stood still at the small opening of the woods. Slowly, Neji slid off his horse and examined the black fragments that lay on the ground in front of them. He picked one up, but as soon as he touched it with his fingers, it broke away. Sasuke came beside and started following the trail it led to.

"Ashes…" Shikamaru muttered. He looked at Naruto who shrugged, climbing back on Harukaze, his blue roan (A/N: If you don't know what the colour the horses are, check on Wikipedia) horse. All four of them hopped back on their season named horses and continued their journey through the forest. As they traveled deeper, they could see traces of small craters, broken vines, damp soil and more burnt cinders. Wondering where on earth how these things managed to travel here, they reached a small river. The source of the flowing water was from a small waterfall which trickled lightly. Neji knelt down and sipped a little bit of water. Sasuke leant over the water barrier which was a small wall of rocks. Shikamaru walked to the other side of the small pond and gasped. All the rest ran up to him and skidded to a stop. There, lay flowers and fruits, piled in a small heap like an offering. The rocks close to it were sparkling clean and smelt of herbs and an instinct smell Sasuke couldn't remember.

"Is this… the work… of the witches?" Naruto asked nervously. Neji gulped while Sasuke stood there stoic as ever. Shikamaru sighed and muttered a line under his breath. Sasuke was the first to move, going back to his horse Akikaze a black mare that has always been his steed. Shikamaru gradually took small steps back to his mount Fuyukaze a pure white horse which Asuma gave to him at his promotion. They delved deeper and deeper into the woods, the flora of the forest surrounding them.

Suddenly, vines came flying at the Kuro Tsumi pack, trying to send their horses racing away. But little did the small brown haired girl who sat on a large oak tree know these horses were trained in a professional way. The males managed to calm their mares down and persisted with their journey. Tenten sat there, fuming, hoping Sakura could do a better job.

Sakura waited on her stallion Kahichi, in the depths of the shadows of the Beneyume forest. They show the intruders examine their pond. She knew instantly when she saw by their uniform, they were Kuro Tsumi detectives. How she loathed them, they had attempted to remove her and her sisters from the small cottage they lived in for years. Then, she heard the sound of trotting hooves. She went out of her trance and carefully followed the sound, keeping Kahichi quiet as they went along. Next, she quickly snapped her fingers, making sure none of the intelligent detectives could hear.

Flames engulfed Sasuke in a split second. It just appeared right in front of them, but luckily, it didn't burn anyone. Except for Akikaze. She whinnied as the patch in between her eyes was burnt from the disastrous fire.

Sakura swore at herself. She didn't mean to hurt the poor creature. She just wanted to burn the man who sat on her saddle. She quickly retreated back to the hut where everyone awaited the news.

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Sasuke jumped off his mount and tended to her. She backed away, frightened of everyone who dared to go near her. Sasuke held her head and began humming a song that always calmed down Akikaze. Slowly, Akikaze began calming down and finally allowed Sasuke to climb back on her. Together, they resumed to head into the centre of the darkening forest.

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Sakura sneaked into the back way of the house. She proceeded to the kitchen where Tenten and Ino sat. As Sakura came in, she was surprised to find that Hinata was gone.

"Where's Hinata?" Sakura asked the two girls who sat on the wooden table urgently. Ino looked at her with concern.

"She went to go get water. She said she'll be back," Ino replied and picked up the plate laden with freshly cut apples to place in the fridge. The electricity was supplied by Ino to help run it. Sakura provided heating and Tenten covered camouflage. Hinata contributed with water and the showers/baths were taken in the waterfall with shelter from Tenten and warm water from Sakura.

Sakura froze.

"Did she take Mizuchi?" Tenten shook her head and pointed at the grey horse secured at the side of the house with Shizenchi and the cream horse Inazumachi. Rahichi was left at the back, but Sakura knew that he wouldn't leave as he was educated by Sakura.

"_No…"_ Sakura thought. She ran out of the house, with Ino and Tenten calling after her as the pink haired girl ran to the Eien river.

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Hinata carried the porcelain jug full of water. It was around 10pm and the moon was shining brightly. She hoped she got enough water to keep them hydrated throughout the night. She went back through the shortcut way, which Sakura and Tenten had professionally made. Finally, she reached the end of the path, which had to take her to the main road. She hopped out and stopped. Four horses stood behind her, who carried four male teens. She turned her pearly eyes which were covered with sapphire lenses, towards them. They stared at her in shock, their mouths gaping in and out like a fish.

Unexpectedly, Sakura came sprinting towards her. Sakura too, stopped, after seeing the four males looking at them with wide eyes.

"No…" Sakura whispered. Their time living in the forest has probably ended.

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END

It took me a while to get the right events I wanted properly.

Thank you for all those great reviews.

See you next time,

KieruMinazuki


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of EoE. Thank you for the reviews!

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**RECAP**

Unexpectedly, Sakura came sprinting towards Hinata. Sakura too, stopped, after seeing the four males looking at them with wide eyes.

"No…" Sakura whispered. Their time living in the forest has probably ended.

**END RECAP**

Sasuke stared at the pink haired girl, standing there like a frozen monument. Could this be the girl he saw earlier?

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Neji's voice snapped Sasuke out of his thoughts. Neji stared intently at the blue eyed girl. (NOTE; Hinata is currently wearing dark blue contacts to hide her identity.)

"Why would you want to know?" Sakura snapped at him angrily. Hinata stood there dumbstruck. She had instantly recognized the pearl eyes as her own clan member that was shining out of Neji's eyes.

"We were sent to investigate the Beneyume Forest, girl and we would like to know where you live," Shikamaru sternly said, steering Fuyukaze to see both females clearly. Sakura glared at each of them lethally with a gaze that could kill. Hinata moved each of her pupils to each person closely, observing them. When both had finished, they gave each other a glance and immediately pounced into the forest. Each boy gave a yell of shock when the two girls disappeared in a flash.

"WHAT THE HELL? WHERE DID THEY GO!" Naruto bellowed loudly into the forest causing all the wildlife near them to run amok. Sasuke looked around wildly, trying to get the sight of the pink haired girl.

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Sakura and Hinata bounded back to their hut. They needed to warn Tenten and Ino to scram. As soon as they came to the door, Hinata reached for the doorknob. But before she could turn it, a blade came hurling onto the wooden door. Sakura turned around rapidly, face to face with the raven haired Uchiha. Her jade eyes straight away were caught into his obsidian eyes. The other three were there behind him, mounted on their horses and panting furiously.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sasuke whispered silkily to Sakura. She shivered at the sound of his voice.

"Bound her, Sasuke. Naruto get the other girl. Neji open the door," Shikamaru commanded his team. They moved quickly. Without hesitation, Neji kicked down the door and held his gun to inspect the house. Tenten jumped from the sound and pulled out her entrusted dagger. She appeared behind Neji's back and held the glimmering weapon to his neck. Ino was at the side of the house, carefully reassuring the horses who were fixed to the side of the house. She stopped at the impact of the door falling down. She too came in a blink of an eye and held her Kyoketsu shoge (A double edged blade) in front of Shikamaru's face. It came within an inch of his eye which scared him frighteningly. Ino herself had hauled herself onto the horse, but Fuyukaze didn't seem to mind that another person was on her back. Sakura took another glance at Hinata who responded with a sign of her own. Both of them turned and kneed their captors in the groin. They groaned falling to the ground and Tenten and Ino struck too. Soon, all four Kuro Tsumis were gagged and unconscious on the floor of the four element wielders' home.

(A/N; Yes, all four of them kick ass and rule. I forgot to tell you that all four of them learnt self defense while together).

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Sasuke woke up with a start. His pelvis hurt painfully, and his head was woozy. He attempted to sit up, but fell down, due to his hand and legs tied up to his three companions. Neji and Shikamaru were sleeping peacefully while Naruto was snoring. Sasuke sighed inwardly and tried to untie the knots that held each of them together.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you," Sasuke looked up to see the pink headed girl walk up to him, holding a wakizashi (A short katana). She over towered him in a haunting way, her blood red kimono free of dirt or scum. It was already morning and the sun shining through the window blinded his eyes as he tried to focus on Sakura.

"Why not? I'm sure I would like to break free," he answered back to her casually, like as though he was having a stroll in the park. Before he knew it, the blade of the sword she held was thrust before his face. He stopped smirking and looked into her eyes. They held fear, and resentment. She lowered the wakizashi and knelt down to his eye level. She stared into his empty black orbs, like as though she was searching for something to help her out of her misery. He gazed back into hers, remembering the girl that fell on top of him in the town. Then, to his surprise, she quickly gave him a kiss on his nose and left the house through the front door.

'Wait a second, wasn't it knocked down by Neji?' Sasuke thought, looking at his friend beside him. His inner self shrugged and went back to sleep.

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Sakura walked out calmly. She couldn't believe she gave into him. She couldn't believe that SHE kissed the complete stranger. Sakura shook her head wildly to get rid of those weird thoughts in her mind and went to the Eien river where her sisters were.

"Hey Sakura. Are they awake?" Tenten's voice came from the offering site where they placed the fruits and flowers.

"Yeah, one of them is," she answered and took her place on the rock Hinata meditates on. Ino was on the other side of the pond, covering the craters she made over the years of training with sand Tenten collected. Hinata stood waist deep in the water, concentrating her orb of water that floated above her hand. Hinata was the most dedicated compared to the others. Her father had abandoned her because she was too weak but now she will be able to prove him wrong. Sakura's parents left her because she was not strong enough to become ninjas like her other family members. Tenten was the same; except she was skilled but her older sisters loathed her and discarded her from envy. Ino's past was the most hidden and forgotten.

"The spiky guy I got was kinda cute," Ino replied, finishing her job by dusting her hands. Tenten looked at her with disgust.

"Cute? They are Kuro Tsumis Ino! Get that through your head!" Sakura told her friend. Ino grinned cheekily before dipping her hands into the calming waters. Sakura began meditating, focusing her fire into an orb like Hinata.

"Interesting power you've got there," Sakura whipped around to see the black eyed boy leaning on a tree gazing at her with interest. She stood up and gave him a snappy punch that knocked him out cold.

"Did you try the punch which makes him lose his memory?" Tenten asked, examining Sasuke. Sakura nodded and hauled him back to the hut, tying his wrists more carefully this time.

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Shikamaru shook his weary head. He'd been awake for a while and his friends still hadn't woken from their nightmares.

"Shikamaru, how long have we been here?" Neji's voice pulled Shikamaru's head to the right, as his friend desperately tried to break free from his prison.

"I don't know…" Shikamaru trailed off; looking at the threshold they were in. The stove looked rusty and the fridge was humming quietly. He wondered how it worked, since they were in the middle of the forest.

"A while," Sasuke was now awake. He couldn't remember what had happened the last time. Naruto continued snoring.

Suddenly, the front door burst open, revealing Tenten, Ino, Hinata and Sakura came in last, shutting the door quickly, waking Naruto up in shock.

"What are you –" Ino's hand stopped Shikamaru from going on and all four sat on their chairs slowly. Tenten pulled out her dagger and held it underneath Neji's neck once again.

"What are you four Kuro Tsumi's doing in our forest?" Sakura interrogated. Sasuke scoffed.

"Your forest? Konoha village OWNS this land, girl!" Sakura kicked down her chair and immediately pulled out her wakizashi. She held it in a threatening way against his neck, pulling out fresh blood.

"We have owned these woods ever since. Do not contradict me, boy!" Sakura whispered, taking away her blade, putting it back in the scabbard. She sat back down calmly and allowed Hinata to take action.

"You did not answer our question. What are you doing in our forest, Kuro Tsumi?" Hinata said slowly, making sure each of them could hear her clearly. Naruto looked at her inquisitively, his blue eyes sparkling at her beauty. Neji saw this right away and replied for him.

"Investigating." That one word hit Sakura and Tenten like a rock. Ino stared on with wide eyes and Hinata began shaking, which none of the detectives noticed.

"Why would you want to investigate these woods?" Ino was the first one to break from the silence. Shikamaru gazed at her, apparently caught in those sky blue orbs of hers.

"We have heard of elements being controlled here and from the looks of it, you four currently live in here, right?" He asked, getting closer to the truth. Tenten and Sakura glanced at each other before looking at the other two. They nodded back until Sakura sighed.

"Yes, we live here. But we have not heard of elements being controlled. How insane would that be?" She said confidently. She hoped to cover up their secret from the detectives and to keep her and her sisters safe. Neji nodded from the information being told while Naruto kept gawking at Hinata. Hinata could feel blood rushing to her brain while she sat down, praying that the princesses could help the idiots believe their story.

"Very well. If you can allow us, we will stay in these forests. Now please unbind us as we shall set up camp. And if you mind, we will visit you from time to time collecting data. Thank you," Shikamaru told them. All four girls gave a sigh of relief in their minds. Sakura came up and cut the rope that connected all four boys together. They sighed from their release, after sitting on the wooden floor in the house for hours.

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"Man that was a close one! That pinky girl is scary!" Naruto said as he tied up the tent he brought along. It was sunset, meaning all of them needed to get ready for more sleep. Sasuke nodded. He had already finished setting up his tent which was a dark colour to camouflage in the dim forest. Shikamaru had chosen a site where it was perfectly flat ground and was free of trees. Tenten had helped them choose the location, clicking her fingers as she went along. Neji had asked her why and she answered that it would scare all the animals away. (Of course, it would clear her path and etc but the idiots don't know that!)

Neji stroked the fire he had made. It wasn't that easy, seeing there wasn't enough dry shrubs to burn. They collected water from the river to cook their food and bath their bodies (Don't think gay). Naruto swore that when he went to get some, he saw a "really pretty girl" stepping on the water with her bare feet. But when he turned back, she disappeared. Neji and Sasuke scoffed, saying it was probably his imagination.

-------------

Hinata bounded through the forest, clutching her clothes to her chest. She stopped on a tall oak tree and began slipping back the kimono onto her petite body. She never expected one of the Kuro Tsumi's to see her. She ran back to the hut as fast as she could. She shut the door in a hurry, startling Sakura who was trying to light the stove with a click of her fingers.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" Sakura asked worriedly, leaving the stove to tend to her panting friend. Tenten and Ino came along too, wondering what Hinata was in a hurry for.

"One of them saw me, but I think he wouldn't think it was one of us," Hinata attempted to catch her breath. Sakura, Ino and Tenten looked at each other dreading what might have to happen.

"Fine. From now on, never use your powers, only in situations and use around the home," Tenten concluded, whisking back to feed the horses. All the other three nodded and went back to their chores. Seems like these detectives have turned these girls' lives upside down.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

END

Thank you for reading


	4. Chapter 4

In celebration of me getting a new computer and my brithday, I am uploading another chapter of each story!

Yes I am STILL writing the novel with my friend, so far around 2-3 chapters a week are working for us but we're currently working veeeeeerrrrryyyy slow. We're going to send it ASAP to publishers. Thank you for reading this story J.

CHAPTER 4 FOUR ELEMENTS OF EIEN

* * *

**DAY 1**

Sakura allowed the blanket to roll off her body as she sat up, stretching her limbs. Sunlight streamed through her window, heating the fabric slowly. Outside, the forest had an eerie yet calming presence. The horses that were close by stamped their hooves impatiently, waiting for Ino to go feed them. The pink haired girl stood out of her bed, the sheets falling onto a mess on the floor. She ignored this and began pulling out a brand new **yukata(1)**from her wardrobe. Books, scrolls, ribbons and an **obi(2)** lay on the floor scattered around messily. Sakura hadn't even bothered cleaning up her room, as Tenten had always told her to do. She slipped on a creamy pink kimono, with red lilies sewed along the bottom left. Autumn leaves also were stitched in, creating a kind of illusion. She tied the obi around her waist and quickly fastened up her hair. Suddenly, she could feel someone's aura somewhere, that somewhere out her window. Sakura looked out the window to see the raven hair detective from yesterday, his face pressed against the glass. Immediately, she pulled out her blade and attempted to shoot it through the glass by scaring the **hentai(3)**. He fell down unconscious, knocked out senseless.

---

Sasuke woke up, his head spinning. Little cute birds flew around his head in circles as he shook it, getting rid of them. He turned left to see the pink haired girl beside him, with her back towards him. He poked her and asked.

'Why did you do that for?' All she did was glare as she stood up.

'Like all girls would do when they find a hentai looking through their window. Bash the hell out of them.' Sasuke turned red and looked away.

'I'm not a hentai. I was investigating.' Sakura rolled her eyes at his excuse.

'Yeah sure. How can you be a man if you're not a hentai?' Sasuke turned even redder and he too stood up, brushing his clothes free of dirt.

'I'm serious. I was investigating. Need me to spell it out for you? I-N-V-E-S-T.' Sakura blocked his mouth with her hand before he could tell her the whole alphabet.

'Ok ok ok I get the point, no need to become my next school teacher.' Sasuke smirked as she lifted her hand off his face.

'Come on, get into the kitchen. I need to interview you,' Sasuke explained businesslike all of a sudden. He opened the door, holding it out for Sakura to pass through. She smiled warmly and allowed herself to be seated.

---

Naruto grabbed his yellow bucket and hopped off to the pond. His indigo boots dug out the soil underneath as he somewhat rushed to get water. Abruptly, he tripped over a large root sticking out. But he didn't see the root move back into its original spot.

High in the trees, Tenten and Hinata giggled at the blonde's clumsiness (A/N: I'm not bagging blondes! I think it's a sort of Naruto thing for him XD). They sat on one of the biggest oak branches in the whole forest, their legs swinging from the treetops.

'Naruto you baka. You should watch where you're going.' Tenten watched as the pearl eyed boy came into view, holding a bag full of kami knows what. His long brown hair which wasn't tied, trailed down his back. He wore a beige coloured uniform which was simply covered by another beige cloak. Hinata was amazed at how they could wear those things when it was summer. The blonde wore a dark orange and black jumpsuit with a brown cloak. His yellow spikes stood up wildly; Tenten wondered how it stood up without any gel.

'Where's Sasuke? Or Shikamaru? Aren't they cooking lunch?' The boy named Naruto asked as he scratched his head sheepishly. The other boy, Neji, shrugged.

'Shikamaru said he was going to interview those girls. Sasuke wanted to come along too.' Hinata's ears perked up the mention of the word 'girls'.

'He said they seem suspicious, especially when they threatened to kill us.' Naruto shuddered at the memory of his ass getting kicked by a girl.

'Pfft they're pathetic. Women can never do anything these days except to help us make babies.' Neji scoffed.

Meanwhile, Hinata had to hold Tenten back from bashing the brains out of the brown haired boy. As she attempted to grab Tenten's ankle, she fell off the branch and landed directly in Naruto's arms. He stared blankly at each other for three seconds, with Neji's mouth wide open. Tenten was still at the top, laughing herself witless as she watched the scene unfold.

Neji's mouth closed as he tried to regain his composure. He glared at the girl before saying.

'What were you doing at the _top of the tree_?' Hinata jumped off from Naruto's grip and dusted herself off. Naruto looked bewildered and missed the warmth of the indigo haired girl.

'Well I uhh…' Hinata stuttered as she rummaged through her pockets, before pulling out a fresh pear she picked earlier this morning.

'I was… picking FRUIT!' She offered the pear to Neji, who just watched her in silent amusement.

'That was an _oak_ tree. Do pears grow on oaks in this forest?' He asked smartly. Hinata blushed before blurting out.

'Yeah! They do!' Tenten froze. _Damn you Hinata._ Tenten could feel Hinata's navy eyes boring holes through with desperation. The brown haired girl sighed before jumping off one tree to another.

'Here. We can go check...' Hinata climbed up the sturdy trunk and Neji and Naruto followed her. Neji glanced at the blonde boy with soundless glee before jumping onto the first branch. As they went higher, Neji and Naruto got even more confused as they continued. Little small fruits were spotted here and there. Soon, when they got to the top, assorted fruits had already bloomed. Oranges, apples, plums, peaches, pears and strawberries? Naruto and Neji stared at the fruit in bafflement.

'Do strawberries grow on trees?' Naruto asked Neji. Neji stayed silent, now thinking twice before making sure of something. Hinata smirked as she picked off a strawberry, placing it on her mouth, biting into the flesh to reveal the juiciness. Naruto watched as she swallowed down the fruit. He then began picking them off, gathering them into his cloak.

Hinata sighed with relief. _Thank you Tenten, you saved my ass._

---

Ino sighed as she stroked Inazumachi. He whinnied as she fed him some dried fruits she herself had made. The creamy coloured horse stamped his hooves, digging into the ground. She had hardly rode him ever since, so why not now? Ino prepared the saddles and reins before setting off, heading towards the pond. As she pulled back on the reins, she could feel a presence behind her. She turned to see the swish of a white tail and it appeared to be the leader of the Kuro Tsumis. He smirked at her before cutting ahead, his horse swishing her tail calmly. Ino knew what he wanted, and she wasn't going give it easily.

'What do you want?' She asked, sneering at him behind his back. He turned and she pulled back her innocent face.

'Info. Now.' He said in a demanding voice. His eyes drilled through her mind as he attempted to gather information from her face. She blinked at him, as though she didn't know anything.

'I don't see why you need info. We told you all we know yesterday.' Shikamaru sighed as they reached the pond. The waterfall was trickling down, a tranquil melody coming from it. The trees around them swayed with the wind. Ino could hear Tenten bounding tree to tree, oaks especially. Hinata was up upon another oak tree, Ino guessed, with two of the other investigators. Sakura was back at the house, sitting on the kitchen table with the midnight haired one, eating apples.

All of them had gained hearing as intense as the woods itself. Their sight had enhanced drastically and their coordination with feet and hand to hand combat was superior compared to the police.

'What if I don't want to give it to you?' Ino provoked. The smile on her face looked so sly, yet intimidating. Shikamaru shuddered; Naruto was right, they _were_ scary.

'I'll take you to our office and order Lord Yamanaka to interrogate you.' Ino, who dismounted her horse to take a walk around the pond, froze. She turned around slowly, her eyes showing fear.

'Don't you…dare.' Shikamaru's brown orbs widened at her. Did he just… threaten her? No one dare threatens the **boss** and I mean, _the _**boss**. He sighed inwardly before slipping off Fuyukaze and walking beside her. Her mood was back to normal and her soft hands were carefully clasped behind her back. She gazed wonderingly at the trees waving with the motion of the breeze. She closed her eyes and stopped, Shikamaru turning around and looking at her in curiosity. She smiled as she heard the trees speak to her through their forest language.

'Can you hear that?' She asked softly, peeling her sky blue eyes open. He put on a face of awkwardness.

'Hear what?' The girl giggled lightly before answering.

'Don't worry, you're too young to understand.' He replaced the look with another one of confidence.

'Oh really? I'm older than you by one year I bet.'

'Twenty-third of September, 1923.' She replied shortly, picking up a fallen leaf and stroking it gently. She set it alight with a snap of her fingers but Shikamaru didn't seem to notice. The ashes were piled into her hand as she cast them into the wind, sending a prayer with them as well.

'Twenty-second of September, 1922.' Ino pouted and stood up again, her back turned against the boss.

'Well, if you want the info, you need to catch me first!' Ino immediately pounced up into the tree, her giggles echoing around Shikamaru like ghosts. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he heard the adorable laughs from the girl. He mumbled a quiet 'How troublesome' before mounting on his horse again and chasing after the repeating laughs tormenting him as he rode.

---

Ino sighed wearily, before lying back on the branch beside Hinata who was mending the edge of her kimono which was ripped by a neighboring branch.

'Man, he was so not fun.' Ino complained, picking off an apple and biting into the fruit. Juice squirted out, showing the freshness and delicacy of the fruit. Hinata sighed at her friends antics.

'Then why did you play with him in the first place? He's the leader, of course he's serious.' Hinata told her friend, holding the needle in between her two front teeth. Ino sighed and sat up again.

'Well I'll be going then. By the way, are we going _there_ tomorrow?' Hinata nodded slowly, still entranced by fixing her kimono.

'Tenten confirmed it. And we need to get away from _them_ for a while too.' Ino agreed silently before saying a goodbye to her friend. She bounded like a possum from one tree to another. Her feet, which was completed with a **geta(4)**, was easy to move in, since those were the only shoes available in the house when her friends had found them. She had mastered walking in them perfectly as skillfully as a geisha would have.

She suddenly caught sight of the two investigators who were with Hinata earlier on. She decided to follow them, eavesdropping on their conversation.

'Hey are we going to take a break tomorrow?' asked the blonde who was named Naruto. Neji rolled his eyes.

'We've only been doing this for **less than a week** Naruto, don't be so impatient.' Naruto pouted and crossed his arms in a childlike position.

'It doesn't matter. No matter what, we are **never** going to get anything out of them. I mean, how can _strawberries_ grow on _oak_ trees?!' He asked no one in particular. They had finally reached their camp, which had no one in sight. Neji sighed and dumped the wood he had been carrying onto the dirt. He knelt down and slipped off his boots and tumbled down onto a mat that had been laid out.

'Naruto, just _shut up_.' Ino had had enough. She quickly leaped off back to the hut, her mind swimming with thoughts of more cover-ups.

_This is going to be easier than I expected…_

* * *

END STORY

(1)– **Yukata – Summer kimono, easier to put on than an actual HUUGE one**

(2)– **Obi – The pretty little bow at the back of the kimono/yukata**

(3)– **Hentai – Pervert. (Imagine Sasuke being like that…-shudders-**

(4)– **Geta – Those really tall shoes with the wooden stands. The clogs/flip-flop like shoes. **

THANK YOU FOR READING!

Heheh, yes I did make up the year of birth thingys. Just think of them as olden day people.

Reviews please!

JunsuiFushichou


	5. Chapter 5

Hi again. I'll be updating a bit more now, since my friend is on a holiday and we'll be taking a break from the novel for a while. Meanwhile, here is chapter 5 of Elements of Eien. -drum roll-

SO yeaaah… that's all.

All the males are older than the females by one year just to let you know.

* * *

Sakura sighed as she slipped on the trench coat. It was a pure charcoal black and the pockets hid many items of use to her like a pistol and daggers. She stood up and examined herself in the mirror. She was tired of going to _that_ place once in a while just to let themselves off and get some alcohol which was hard purchasing, since they didn't have an ID. She left her room and sat on the kitchen table waiting for her other sisters. It was night time and the moon was fully out tonight, shining its beauty to the bottom of the river. 

Sakura carefully inspected her clothes as she slipped on the ankle boots. She wore a simple black dress that hung tight to her skin, which ended just around her thigh. It was sleeveless one, with a collar and buttons. She also took along a scarf, just in case any of the males prowling around saw her tattoo.

Hinata came out, buckling her belt around her waist securely. She wore a black shiny skirt, with tights underneath and a spaghetti top was over her body. She too, took along a scarf and a black jacket that ended half way to her stomach. She was the timekeeper for this trip, so she brought along a silver pocket watch hidden in the inside her inner coat pocket.

Ino was out next, wearing a revealing skirt and a collared shirt. A fishnet full body outfit was inside, covering her legs and it revealed her stomach. A pair of golden bangles she stole from a jeweler was on her arms. She had no jacket, and wasn't afraid of the cold breeze outside either. She turned around to allow Hinata and Sakura examine her when Tenten slammed her door closed, who was wearing a black qipao with black slippers placed over her petite feet. The slits at her sides revealed her fine legs as well as the gold band she had kept around her leg for all these years.

"Stupid investigator… HE CAUGHT ME WHEN I WAS CHANGING!" She screamed, her face beet red. The other three stayed silent, until they burst out into laughter. Sakura was first to stop and finally said.

"Come on, we'll be late." They all headed out the door and saddled up their horses and rode off, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

---

Neji panted as he leant against the wall, his face turning into a bright red that was visible even in the night. He just saw her half naked. Now, he knew the reaction of her to him would defiantly change. He banged his head on the wall, muttering to himself how an idiot he was. But then remembered what clothes she was wearing. _Seductive_. They were sure to be some sort of assassins. He headed out to the campsite, the leaves around him billowing as he ran faster.

He stopped as the rest of his companions raised their heads in confusion.

"They're going somewhere tonight. They were wearing assassin like clothes." He said in between breathes, pointing on the road. All four of them ran out to the path to find fresh horse hooves.

"Damn, it's too late. Might as well get ready to get to that bar. I'm craving for some whisky." Sasuke said, rubbing his forehead as he thought he saw a glimpse of orange. An owl hooted in the night, its large amber eyes observing the group carefully. Naruto turned around, and instantly saw a grey blur flash before his eyes. He screamed in fright and hid behind Shikamaru. All three of them looked at him in confusion.

"I…I just…saw something!" He pointed in the spot where he saw the thing but nothing was visible in the night. Sasuke rolled his eyes and went into his tent to change.

"Naruto you must be dreaming. Nothing wonders around in the Beneyume forest. Only the four witches, who are likely to be the girls." Shikamaru said calmly, leaving Naruto outside.

The Kuro Tsumis went out, wearing smooth suits. Even though it was a bar, it was known for a place were many officials and high ranking people went to. As they all perfectly slipped on their outfits they mounted their horses and set out on the main pathway, unaware of the animals that lurked around them.

---

"Crowded like usual." Tenten said quietly, heading over to a table with her three sisters. She sat down on the red leather seat, sliding along it to allow Ino to sit beside her. The bartender nodded at them, the familiarity striking in between them again. Sakura called one of the waitresses and ordered four martinis. Even though they were still 17, they had gained the trust and friendship of the pub owner who was named Teuchi. He was fond of all of them, treating them like daughters. They too were also known with Ayame, his daughter who was also a waitress serving in the pub.

As Hinata looked around, she instantly spotted a 12 year old girl, sitting beside a man in a suit with a matching hat. He was smoking an expensive looking pipe and had pearl-lavender eyes. He sat at the bar, talking with Ayame while the girl sat on the chair, motionless as she observed the surroundings. It was a dimly lit room, with an aura of cautiousness around. There was the stage, complete with the grand piano and microphone (A/N: Remember this is olden days. Try to imagine.). Smoke was everywhere since the customers were either smoking pipes or cigars. The waitress, named Chiasa came back with their martinis and Sakura drank all of hers in one gulp. Ino sipped her quietly, before turning her head to the door to drop the glass in shock. Luckily Hinata secretly used her water manipulation to direct the beverage to pause in mid air and maintain it back in the glass.

"Oh my Kami. They're here too!" All four turned to the door and saw the four investigators. They didn't seem to notice them yet they went to the bar calmly and spoke quickly to the Teuchi. He nodded and pointed at a reserved table close to the stage. The detectives went and sat down, only to have girls crowd around them.

"What playboys." Ino muttered under her breath as she took another mouthful of the alcohol. Tenten glared as Neji wrapped his arms around two giggling girls while Hinata was keen on spying the man who had betrayed her. Sakura finished her eighth martini and staggered up.

"I'm going to sing." She slurred as she headed to Teuchi, catching the eye of Sasuke, who was slowly sipping his whisky. Teuchi nodded and smiled at her. The pink haired teen coolly walked up to the stage, suddenly sober once more and took the microphone. Hinata instantly knew what song she was going to sing and ran up the stage to take the piano. Tenten and Ino took either side by their friend and Hinata struck the first note.

_Ki ni naru noni kikenai  
Oyogitsukarete kimi made mukuchi ni naru_

Sasuke sat up from his seat, immediately engrossed by the soft melody.

_Aitai noni mienai nami ni osarete  
Mata sukoshi tooku naru_

_Togirenai you ni  
Keep it going baby _

_Onaji kimochi ja nai nara  
Tell me muri wa shinai shugi demo  
Sukoshi nara shite mitemo ii yo  
_

As Sakura stopped to catch her breath, a tear trickled down her pale cheek, descending onto the floor silently. No one saw, seeing as they were too entranced with her angelic voice.

_  
I wanna be with you now  
Futari de distance chijimete  
Ima nara maniau kara  
We can start over  
Hitotsu ni wa narenai_

Ino and Tenten helped lift her voice higher as they backed her up.

_  
I wanna be with you now  
Itsu no hi ka distance mo  
Dakishimerareru you ni nareru yo  
We can start sooner  
Yappari I wanna be with you_

Tenten took the next verse, her hard voice now replaced with a sweet serene one.

_Hitokoto de konna ni mo kizutsuku kimi wa  
Kodoku wo oshiete kureru_

_Mamorenai toki keep on trying, baby  
Yakusoku toori ja nai kedo trust me  
Muri wa shinai shugi demo  
Kimi to narashite mitemo ii yo_

_I wanna be with you now  
Futari de distance mitsumete  
Ima nara maniau kara  
We can start over  
Kotoba de tsutaetai_

Ino's voice perfectly fit with the pitch of the piano as Hinata went higher into the treble. Shikamaru stared in wonder at the girl who was the cold girl he had talked to this afternoon.

_  
I wanna be with you now  
Sono uchi ni distance mo  
Dakishimerareru you ni nareru yo  
We should stay together  
Yappari I need to be with you_

As all three stopped, Hinata began her solo part, causing the crowd's eyes to widen at her marvelous skill. The Hyuuga head, Hiashi gazed at her intently, before lowering the hat over his eyes. He pulled his daughter to the door and left, banging the entrance. In the corner of her eye, Hinata saw him leave, causing her to press the wrong note. She easily regained her job and played her hardest. When she finished with the final chord, the audience applauded, with wolf whistles and cheers heard in the out roar. All four bowed and smiled cheekily before getting off the stage to allow Megumi, the usual singer to continue.

Sasuke smirked, watching as Sakura was soon crowded by the waitresses, accepting their praises. As they dispersed, Ino, Tenten and Hinata went back to the table while Sakura sat at the bar table, shoving down the shots that Teuchi slid to her. She smacked three gold coins and Teuchi gladly took them and placed them in the till, going off to serve the other customers. Sasuke smirked even wider, if that was possible and sat down beside her, asking for the same. She glared at him before returning to her shot.

"That was nice singing. Who was it sung to eh?" He asked, nudging her in the ribs. She glowered at him once again and slammed the tiny glass down.

"It's none of your business." Sakura replied shortly, before leaving, her short kimono flowing as she sat back down with her sisters. Her face was now crestfallen, as she talked with her friends and smiling weakly. Sasuke stared after her, as Naruto came up to him.

"Hey don't annoy them; they won't give as much now." He said, finishing his glass. He placed it beside Sakura's shot and walked off, to talk with Ayame who he was familiar with too.

---

Hinata silently pressed her back against the wall, avoiding the guards outside the premises. The guard passed her, oblivious of the teen that stood against the brick wall outside the Hyuuga residence. She rapidly signaled to Tenten using the fountain to make it bubble, while the brown haired girl sent a gust of wind to her, carrying maple leaves and pine needles. Sakura clicked her fingers, indicating the flicker of flames while Ino sent out a thunderstorm. It rumbled heavily above, sending the men on guard in fear. Hinata smiled at their antics and began gazing up at the grey sky, the heavens rumbling loudly. Slowly, rain began to fall, as water cascaded down with each bucketful drenching the iron wearing guards.

The indigo haired girl started slowly creeping into the closest window and slid in quietly. She quickly identified the girl; it was Hanabi. She went up close, the trail of water soaking the rich carpet and curtains. She gazed at her sister, not even knowing one single fact about her, since she had been abandoned because of her. She raised the knife above her head, and was about to plunge it into the girl's flesh. But something stopped her. As the lightning grew louder, she swiftly exited again, jumping from the two story building like a cat and landing on all fours. She sped to the back gate, easily slipping through and meeting with Tenten.

"Did you do it?" She asked quietly. Hinata shook her head and left to get Ino and Sakura, on the brink of telling them what had stopped her.

---

Neji knelt beside the fire, poking it with a branch. As thunder roared above him, he hastily went inside his tent and grabbed the raincoat, covering him as he put out the fire with a bucket of water. Sasuke came out of his, a black raincoat over his shoulders and sat down beside him. Suddenly, a growl came from behind them. The investigators jumped up at the sound, taking out their pistols. It was useless in the rain though, but all they could do was threaten the thing. They looked around, as Shikamaru and Naruto came out, holding pocket knives.

Abruptly, a flash of orange lunged for Neji. He cried out in fright while a flicker of grey passed out of the trees and aimed for Naruto. An owl hooted loudly, sending both Sasuke and Shikamaru shock whilst another blur headed for the campfire. It yowled heatedly. The two detectives backed away, before another shape appeared in front of them.

"Seems you've met Taiyou." Sakura's voice came from behind them. She was kneeling beside a black, orange and white tiger, stroking it gently as it purred like a cat. Its teeth were bared, the shiny pearl fangs glinting in the moonlight. Its golden eyes glared at Sasuke, reminding him of his own owner's stare.

"And Hoshi." The wolf growled from their right as Ino approached it with confidence. It stood by her side, its blended fur raised high, meaning its suspicion of the group. Its orange eyes inspected the area, staring hungrily at the pond.

"And Sora." Tenten had the lynx spread on her shoulder, as it hummed, licking her cheek. It was smaller than average, but nonetheless, it was large enough to look threatening. The pale brown fur was soaked in water from the rain and its tawny eyes blinked slowly. The rain that poured down didn't seem to affect them, as they were flooded in heaven's tears.

"And Tsuki." Hinata had the owl perched on her shoulder, a dead mouse in its beak. Its feathers had mottled black spots while the rest was pure white. It had bright amber eyes, which seemed to know everything that they thought. Naruto gulped, thinking that the owl represented her and the mouse was them.

Were they in their trap? Or were they toying with their fears?

* * *

Another chapter finished! Hope you enjoyed it.

_JunsuiFushichou_


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note/s;

_Oh. My. God. I AM SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN AGES! YOU ALL HAVE PERMISSION TO DESTROY ME!_

_I wasn't very motivated this week (such a sh!t week, I feel like banging my head against the wall -drags on about random stuff-) because I've been in a bad mood, which also included opposing God. I stopped when I started praying to God about my lost umbrella (I never found it in the end) which was 5 minutes later._

_I'm Catholic and all that, but I haven't turned to Satanism and all that bull. Sorry for swearing if it makes you uncomfortable but I _**really**_ need to get it out of my system. Hopefully, next time I update I'll have a clearer and happier mood. _

_Here is chapter ….6!_

_An extra note…_

_Taiyou means Sun_

_Hoshi means Star_

_Sora means Sky_

_Tsuki means Moon_

_Enjoy this chapter!_

**JunsuiFushichou**

* * *

**RECAP**

"_Seems you've met Taiyou." Sakura's voice came from behind them. She was kneeling beside a black, orange and white tiger, stroking it gently as it purred like a cat._

"_And Hoshi." The wolf growled from their right as Ino approached it with confidence._

"_And Sora." Tenten had the lynx spread on her shoulder, as it hummed, licking her cheek._

"_And Tsuki." Hinata had the owl perched on her shoulder, a dead mouse in its beak._

**END RECAP**

"T-t-t-taiyou?" Sasuke stuttered, staring at the tiger. His voice was quivering as he eyed it suspiciously. It growled at him gruffly before caressing Sakura. She smiled as she stroked the tiger's head fondly.

"Yes Taiyou. And Hoshi, Sora and Tsuki." She indicated to the other animals who were fondling with their own masters.

"Wait a second… why do you have beasts?" Shikamaru interrupted, his eyes narrowed.

"They're not beasts!" Ino retorted, her face turning red. "They are animals!" The wolf beside her agreed, snarling at the leader of the investigation. He raised an eyebrow at it.

In a flash, a grey blur leapt at Shikamaru. Cries of horror and shouts of anger erupted.

---

"Stupid wolf…" Shikamaru muttered, holding the ice pack to his scarred face. Naruto was tempted to crack up but didn't, afraid that he might lose his job. Harukaze whinnied as it began to grow darker.

"You shouldn't have mocked it. I bet it's under the power of those witches." Neji muttered, poking the damp fire. The rain seemed to end once the girls left, which raised the detectives' suspicion level even higher. Shikamaru snorted.

"You're an idiot. If they're witches, they'd torture us with their powers and hang us up outside the forest to warn the villagers. That's what happened last time, remember?" The four of them shuddered at the event that haunted their minds ever since they were introduced into the police department...

"_Excuse me. Please move, I'm an officer thank you." Shikamaru pushed his way through the crowd and stopped. His brown eyes widened at the sight. Neji, Sasuke and Naruto who were behind him dropped the weapons they were holding. _

"_Oh…my… Kami." Naruto murmured. Neji remained impassive and looked down, his mind filled with the horror of the scene. Sasuke's face was pale and he turned a little green._

_Three male corpses hung from the tall branches of the oak trees outside the Beneyume forest. They were covered in scars and blade marks. Their necks were hanging by a sliver of skin and their eyes were bloodied, staring at the audience in front of them endlessly. The rope that was around their flesh was cutting through their flesh and their mouths held hundreds of insects. _

_A child in the crowd broke through the silence._

"_Why mummy? Why is daddy up there? Tell him to come down… I miss him so much." The mother broke down in tears, kneeling on the floor, beating her fists into the ground. Her relatives around comforted her, their own tears flooding the dirt. _

_Shikamaru's eyes found the floor. _

"_Sasuke. Contact the rescue brigade. Tell them to take down the bodies." Sasuke nodded and left, his cloak trailing behind him. Hushes went around as Shikamaru went past them. His face was emotionless and exhaustion was the only thing evident. More whispers came past._

"_Look at the officer. He doesn't even care. Not one word of comfort to the victim's families."_

"_Tsk. Shame on him. He just stands here and does nothing while the witches inside the forest are probably going to start a massacre?" _

_Naruto placed a hand on his senior's shoulder, reassuring him. Shikamaru smiled weakly before heading back to the office. _

---

"Good girl Tsuki…" Hinata stroked the white owl gently while feeding it the dried fruits. Taiyou snorted as he chewed on a bone while Hoshi sat underneath the table, biting Ino's foot lightly.

"You shouldn't have let Hoshi scar him Ino. What if Hoshi decapitated him instead?" Tenten said, peeking into the fridge in search of food. Ino laughed out loud, shocking a meditating Sakura.

"Decapitate? If Hoshi decapitated him, it would've been better!" She chuckled to herself as she scratched the wolf behind the ears. He purred like a cat while Ino looked down tenderly at her pet.

Tenten rolled her eyes and sat down, drinking out of the carton of milk. As she was about to tip the carton, she looked into it once again.

"Better go buy more supplies. It's your turn next Hinata." The indigo haired girl nodded and continued to stroke Tsuki, gazing blankly out the window. Sakura waved a hand in front of her face.

"Hinata? You ok?" The girl shot up and nodded silently. She opened the window quietly and allowed Tsuki to go out and hunt. She watched as her pet flew out into the darkness and disappeared in the night.

---

**DAY 2**

Tenten awoke, with her head throbbing. _Damn… stupid martinis…_ She thought as she stood up. Her nightgown fell to floor as she slipped it off and put on another kimono. She tied the obi and examined herself in the mirror. Green oak leaves were sewed on the bottom left hand corner and along her right sleeve. It wasn't too fancy or casual. She slipped on her wooden geta and walked outside to prepare breakfast. She yawned sleepily as she opened the fridge to find it bare.

Tenten sighed inwardly and remembered they had run out of supplies. After minutes of inner disputes, she decided she would go herself. With an extra gown inside the kimono, she untied and saddled Shizenchi and left.

Neji woke up and attempted to start the fire. To his dismay, the matches…_were gone_. He grit his teeth in anger. _Damn Naruto… him and his stupid matchstick tower making plan_. He threw down the empty box in annoyance and looked inside their storage cart. _Empty_. Alright, this time pits of fire were in his pearl eyes. _Damn Naruto and Shikamaru having their eating contests…_ He looked over at his companions. Naruto was openly snoring, his 'un-cool' hat messily placed on top of this blonde hair. Sasuke was sucking his thumb (A/N; ….rightio) while Shikamaru was muttering Shogi piece names in his sleep.

"Lousy partners… make me do all the girly shopping crap…" Neji muttered as he mounted Natsukaze, attaching the cart to his horse. He headed towards the main path and rode on.

---

"Uhhh pre-packed bacon?" Tenten said in confusion. The shop-keeper nodded for the eighth time and pointed at the slices of bacon wrapped in several layers of plastic. "So they will probably stay fresher longer huh…?" The shop-keeper sighed.

"Yes! For the sixteenth time! Weren't you there when the inventors introduced it?!" Tenten shook her head and looked down at the butcher stall.

"No… unfortunately I couldn't be there…" She held a finger to the chin and started thinking over the possibilities of what Sakura, Ino or Hinata would think.

"Yes, I'd like the meat pack. Oh and while you're at it, could you add a little extra?" Tenten turned around in disbelief to find Neji down the counter, holding out a leather pouch of coins.

"YOU!" She pointed a finger at him threateningly. He stared back at her and gaped.

"YOU!" He mimicked, doing the same. The other customers were watching them in interest.

"Do you think they could be ex-lovers?" A woman in the crowd whispered. The two of the spun their heads in the direction and screamed simultaneously.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING LADY!?"

"Here is your meat deluxe sir and your package ma'am." Tenten picked up her parcel with a huff and Neji took his.

"Good day." They said concurrently. With their heads high and eyes closed, both of them stalked off out of the shop.

Tenten walked down the aisles, looking down at the prices. She looked back into her pouch and found a couple of gold and silver coins. _Guess we'll have to keep being thieves…_ She thought sadly. The thought of robbing people for their own survival made her sick, but that was how she was forced to live. Her heart stopped when she spotted the boy outside, calling out the news headlines.

"Extra extra! Witches in Beneyume forest ransom now rose up to 250 gold pieces!" She ran up to him, placing the basket of food gently onto the ground. She gave him a silver coin and grabbed the newspaper.

**LORD OF TOWN NOW RAISING RANSOM FOR CAPTURE OF WITCHES**

Tenten's heart paused once again. She couldn't hear it. She couldn't hear anything. Not even the tap that almost sent her sprawling on the walkway. She snapped out of her thoughts and once again, found herself across Neji. The paper dropped from her hands. Her eyesight blurred and her body felt weak. Tenten was close to falling face down onto the sidewalk but two arms caught her.

"OI! Are you alright?!" She attempted to answer but nothing came out. Her vision blacked out.

"HEY!" What do you think you're doing buddy?!" Neji pushed the boy aside and caught Tenten in his own arms. The boy held his arms up defensively and pulled a face.

"I was just helping the pretty lady! It's not like as though she's your girl man!" Neji turned red and looked down at the unconscious girl. He picked up the newspaper and spotted the headlines. He looked back down at Tenten and thoughts rapidly flew by his head. _Could she really be the witch? Could she?_

---

"TENTEN!" Ino ran to her sister's side and took one look at her as Tenten lay unconcscious on Shizenchi. Neji slid off his own horse and gave the blonde haired girl the basket of supplies Tenten had bought.

"Thank you so much. What happened to her?" Ino asked, taking Tenten's brown coated horse's reins. Neji took out the newspaper from the saddle.

"This." He threw the paper down on the ground and pointed at the title. Her face turned cold and impassive.

"It could've been a fever. Do not act so suspicious." She said looking away as Sasuke, Naruto and Shikamaru came running. They stopped when they saw the storage cart.

"Wow! Thanks Neji!" Naruto exclaimed but stopped when he saw the serious looks on both Ino and Neji's faces. "Huh? What's up with this lady?" He poked Tenten a couple of times who was laying stomach-down on Shizenchi. She budged a little bit, before muttering strange words. Ino pointed at the brown haired girl.

"See? It is a fever. Now please, I'd like to take care of her." With a flick of her hair, she left, heading back to a hut. Naruto picked up the newspaper and instantly recognized the situation. He called out,

"WE KNOW IT IS YOU!" A dagger flew past their faces and latched itself on the tree just centimeters away from Naruto's face.

---

"Ino! What's wrong with her?" Hinata ran up to the two approaching figures. She dropped the jug of water she was carrying but ignored as it smashed into bits. Tsuki flew above them, before soaring out into the direction of the investigators' campsite. Sakura came running out of the house, her pink hair flying in the wind. She stopped when she saw the grave look on Ino's face.

"Ino. Tell me." Sakura went up to Shizenchi and helped Tenten up with Hinata's help. Ino led the horse back to the posts and tied him up. She stood silent, staring at the reflection in the horse water bowl. _What has become of me?_

Tenten was carefully placed in her bed. As she sat there, listening to her sisters talk, her mind was clouded with thoughts and questions as her hazel eyes fluttered open. She sat up, her long hair falling over her shoulders. She stood up, the green kimono sliding over the decaying wood. Her bare feet seemed to glide over the floor as she opened her door to find Hinata, Ino and Sakura staring at her.

"Tenten, why are you awake? I thought you fainted." Hinata said, holding up the fragile shards of the jug. The blue porcelain jug was the largest thing they had managed to steal when they were younger, from an old potter whose eyes were deteriorating. They still pitied him but it was either their survival or death. Tenten closed the door behind her and sat beside Ino. She brushed her hair noiselessly, before answering Hinata's question.

"I was. But now I'm fine." She lied. Her eyes barely managed to stay wide open and her body was swaying as she settled herself into the chair. "We need to find another way to distract them; they already know too much." Sakura agreed, scratching Taiyou behind the ears under the table. He had caught a hare that lurked in the forest and now shared it with Hoshi; both of them fought over for first bite. Ino nudged her pet with her foot gently.

"I agree. The newspaper affected Tenten during the market. Didn't you feel that sudden jolt of adrenaline?" Both Sakura and Hinata nodded, remembering the slight shiver that ran up their spines before.

"We have to find a new path to get their minds off our powers." Hinata whispered, leaning in closer. Her sisters followed her example, slipping off their chairs. Tenten looked around at the three of them before a brilliant idea snapped into her mind. An evil smirk crept across her pale face.

"How about…" Hinata instantly noticed the strange expression over Tenten's face. A dreaded feeling dropped inside her stomach. She shot up immediately, her indigo eyes widening.

"Oh no. No Tenten! I swear I can't do that!" Ino grinned along too, following Tenten's example. Meanwhile, Sakura sat, dazed at what on earth was happening.

"Come on Hinata, it'll be the only way we can get their suspicions off!" She shook her head frantically, eyes shut desperately. Tenten sighed and sat back down on her seat.

"Please? This will probably be the only way to stop this!" Hinata sighed before gazing out the window, staring at Tsuki who had landed on the windowsill. She turned back to Ino and Tenten and nodded wearily. The two of them squeaked and shot up, giving each other high five's. Sakura sat still, raising an eyebrow at their strange motions.

"Wait, so we're going to…"

---

Naruto sighed as he picked up the yellow bucket, his brown boots covered in muck and dry mud. The hem of his cloak was dirty, and it was his desire to clean it as soon as possible. Sasuke and Shikamaru had gone to find firewood while Neji was attempting to clean the damp fire-area. He scratched his head a bit; his blonde hair messed up. As he neared the river, he could see a faint shadow leaning beside the bank. He approached the person to find it was the indigo haired girl from the cottage. He knelt beside her, as though she was a fragile child. She gazed up at him drowsily.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked, placing his hand on her forehead. Her temperature was _freezing_. She advanced on him, reaching out to touch his cheek. Naruto fell backwards in surprise and Hinata continued moving forward.

"Help…me…" She said weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. The detective's sapphire orbs widened in disbelief as she gently stroked him. He could feel his face burning up and he couldn't ignore the shivers that crawled up his spine.

"A-a-a-wah…?" He stumbled over the words flowing from his mouth. His train of thought escaped when she pressed her lips against his cheek. His face scorched. She quickly moved back, letting out a luscious smirk that could've easily made him faint. But he didn't. Because he already had. Hinata sighed exasperatedly.

_Seems like this guy will be easy to fool…_

---

Sakura sat on the kitchen table, sighing wistfully. Her short hair was tied up messily and her kimono sleeves were rolled up. She sighed once more before picking up the pile of dough and began kneading. She wiped away her perspiration with her wrist and flicked her hair out of her eyes. Sasuke entered quietly, his footsteps treading against wooden floor. The girl didn't look up, her concentration focused on the dough. He coughed, indicating that he was there and she jumped up, eyes wide with surprise.

"Oh! Hello, _Sasuke-kun_…" She whispered a blush evident on her cheeks. Sasuke gazed at her in amazement; he could feel blood rising to his head. He coughed again, turning his face away. Sakura grinned to herself. _Perfect_. She flicked her hair once more and asked. "Want to help me Sasuke-kun? I'm making bread."

He nodded quickly. A lump was stuck in his throat. He went beside her and discarded his cloak on the wooden chair. He glanced at her powdered fingers. They were delicate, roughly kneading the dough. He turned away once more, slapping himself mentally for daring to look at her body.

"Sasuke-_kun_, what's wrong?" She asked, looking at him with innocent eyes. He cursed before muttering something like 'it's nothing'. Sakura handed him a pile and the two of them began working.

SLAP! Sasuke turned to glare at the girl who threw a ball of dough at his face. It slid off, plopping on the ground. Sakura giggled like a little school girl.

"You've got flour on your face." She said, reaching out to wipe away the powder with her fingers. He deftly grabbed them and threw his heap into her face playfully. Her jaw dropped but broke into a grin.

"That's for throwing dough on my face, Sakura-_chan­." _He accentuated the suffix at the end of her name. With a mischievous smile on her face, she reached out once more and ruffled his hair, the flour settling into the chicken-spikes. But unfortunately, she lost her balance and landed right on top of him on the floor.

Sasuke could feel his face burning as she blinked a couple of times to make sure this wasn't a dream. They were both panting desperately, their emotions getting the better of them. Sakura gazed at him with her green eyes. As her mind snapped, she hovered above his lips, her train of thought slipping away. Finally, she made her move. Her lips crushed against his.

---

Neji sighed as he poked the burning fire once more. The poker was glowing red hot as he lay it down once more and picked up the bottle of water. He took a long drought and wiped his mouth, to find a brown haired girl sitting opposite to him on the other log.

"Hello." She said, crossing her legs, revealing the flashy skin underneath. Neji's eyes trailed down those _sexy_ legs. Wait, did he just think_ sexy_? He shook his head wildly before his pearl orbs found the floor interesting.

"H-h-hey. What are you doing here?" He managed to blurt out, his eyes darting here and there nervously. Tenten smirked slyly. She easily noticed his movements; just like she had read other men's'.

"Oh nothing… here and there. Thanks for carrying me back by the way. I feel _much_ better." She grinned cheekily, standing up and sitting beside him. She rubbed her leg against his, watching his changes closely. Neji blushed furiously. Tenten grinned and quickly gave him a peck on the cheek, running off into the distance. She could feel a chuckle building up inside of her.

---

Shikamaru walked along the road, examining the vegetation carefully. Most of the trees had been marked with either scratches or dagger scars. He slid his rough hand against one, allowing the texture melt into his skin. It tingled slightly. His mind was warped for a moment until he heard a sniffle from above. He looked up and blushed intensely. Ino sat atop the tree in her _kimono_. From his position, he had a _very interesting_ view. Taking out his daggers and forcing the raging hormones from his mind, he climbed up before taking a seat beside the crying girl. Her eyes were red from crying and her salty tears were dampening her kimono.

"What's wrong?" Shikamaru asked, peering at her curiously. She turned away, taking one of her hands and pointing at her knee. It was bleeding furiously, the blood seeping out. Soon, the cut was going to be infected.

"I was going around collecting fruit but then I tripped and fell from that tree." She whimpered helplessly, indicating to the oak beside them. "It was pretty far up, so I fell down and scraped my knee against the rough back of the maple. I can't get up and all of my sisters have gone out to do their jobs." She hissed when the wound stung and she held her leg tightly, attempting to stop the blood flow. Shikamaru sighed, his face growing red from staring at her skin for too long. He had to do something quick.

"Shika-kun… it's so painful…" He snapped out of his thoughts and flushed. Did she just say _Shika-kun_? He looked around hurriedly and immediately took the hem of her kimono. "Eh? Shika-kun! What do you think you're doing?" She shrieked when he lifted her leg onto his own and ripped part of the gentle fabric. He began professionally tying it to the wound. The blood soaked through the fabric, dying it in a deep crimson. Ino blinked several times, her tears disappearing. Then, without thinking, she leant forward, grabbed his cheek and the gaps in between their lips closed.

* * *

Author's Note/s;

_I'm STILL so sorry for not updating for a long time! I've been neglecting this Fic (yes I know, I should go kill myself for THINKING ABOUT THAT!) for a while but I pulled myself together and wrote another chapter! -thumb up- So proud of myself. _

_Thank you for your patience, for if it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't be typing this!_

_I LOVE YOU ALL!_

_**Love, **_JunsuiFushichou

Playlist;

Complete set of _full on_ UVERworld songs (I'm going on a UVERworld downloading rampage)

Kitto Eien ni, Kirakuni, Together - Crystal Kay

A GAFILLION anime songs which I cannot be bothered typing.


	7. Chapter 7

_Huloo_

_After VERY VERY VERY VERY hard thought and thinking, I've decided to make this 1st Priority!_

_Yes it was in fact a hard decision (the other being Endless Path) but since I've been getting more reviews for this story._

_Love __**JunsuiFushichou **_

* * *

**RECAP**

_Naruto's train of thought escaped when Hinata pressed her lips against his cheek. His face scorched. She quickly moved back, letting out a luscious smirk that could've easily made him faint. But he didn't. Because he already had. Hinata sighed exasperatedly._

_Sakura gazed at him with her green eyes. As her mind snapped, she hovered above his lips, her train of thought slipping away. Finally, she made her move. Her lips crushed against his._

_Tenten rubbed her leg against his, watching his changes closely. Neji blushed furiously. She grinned and quickly gave him a peck on the cheek, running off into the distance. She could feel a chuckle building up inside of her._

_Ino blinked several times, her tears disappearing. Then, without thinking, she leant forward, grabbed his cheek and the gaps in between their lips closed._

**END RECAP**

Tenten grinned happily as she skipped down the main path, gently sliding her hands along the tree trunks. They all seemed to be in a talkative mood today. She closed her eyes and the words formed in her mind.

The brown haired girl broke out into a giggle, her pearly teeth forming a grin as she continued down the road to her house.

"All according to plan." She muttered happily, flicking a bang out of her eyes. She looked up and latched her hands onto a tree branch. She hauled herself up and smiled, leaning against it as she began to doze off. "Simple as that." She crossed her arms and began staring out into the distance, watching as the sun set, bathing the land into a brilliant orange. She sighed once more and turned the other away only to shriek.

Neji sat beside her, gazing into her eyes with a bored look. "All according to plan?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Tenten began sweating. _Damn it, how will I get out of this?_ She chuckled nervously, her hazel eyes darting left and right.

"What plan?" She said nervously. Neji smirked arrogantly.

"You said it before, I heard you; _all according to plan; simple as that_." His smirk grew wider when she didn't give an answer. "Well well, so it was all an act. Well I better go now and-" He was cut off when her lips crushed against his desperately. She bit his bottom lip, forcing blood to come out. He gasped, not even knowing how fierce she could get. Tenten slid her tongue into his mouth, forming a dance with Neji's. She grabbed his hand and let it slide along her left thigh as she swung her leg over his waist and was now on all fours in front of him.

The kiss sent him in frenzy, releasing all the held up hormones that had raged inside of his mind. _Kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss_ were the only words they repeated constantly as his tongue continued twirling around with hers. His lust and desire was now all forced onto her as they broke apart, desperate for air. The two of them gasped, unable to collect the fragments of their thoughts. Tenten blushed beet red. She looked up at him again, her hair now let out of its two buns. She grinned at him lazily.

"Well, you think it's all a play now?"

---

Hinata sighed as she hitched the unconscious boy properly onto her back. Walking around in geta while carrying a limp boy who weighed almost a whole ton wasn't a smart idea. She sighed once more when he murmured words that she couldn't even decode. She smiled as she reached the road, turning back to whisper to the asleep boy:

"We're back."

As Hinata picked up speed, she leapt up into the tree and slammed herself against the tree. She peered carefully, to see Tenten pressing herself against the brown haired boy. Hinata's heart lurched forward in disgust and she shivered at what on earth Tenten was thinking. With no time to waste, she placed Naruto onto the tree branch. She gazed at him slowly, her eyes trailing along his body. She stopped when she reached his face. Hinata reached out her hand and gently stroked his cheek. She then swiftly bent forward and gave him a chaste kiss.

"I'll miss you," she murmured as her forehead leant against his. She closed her eyes and a single tear fell down from her navy orbs. She turned away and leapt off the tree, making sure to do it as quietly as she could. She turned her gaze back once more and smiled weakly at him before disappearing into the sunset.

Hinata slammed the door open and shouted.

"Sakura, Tenten was doing some-" She stopped mid-way and her jaw dropped. Sakura had the raven haired boy pinned on the floor as they tongue-wrestled. The green eyed girl shot up and blushed furiously, leaping off the inspector.

"Hinata! Uhmm… I can explain!" But she was too late, because Hinata had left the house in a hurry, her cheeks burning up into an indescribable red.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…" She muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. This was all just a play to get the detective's minds off, but why were her sisters acting like as though they really _liked_ them? The question lurked through her mind.

"Do they?" Hinata asked no one in particular, looking up at the canopy of the trees. She pursed her lips together and continued walking. Her eyes glued to her feet, she went somewhere with no true destination. She had no destination in her life, for all of it actually, just wondering and wondering, allowing fate to lead her along the road.

Suddenly, she stopped. She had hit something hard and almost fell back but strong arms caught her. "Ah, sorry." She whispered softly before looking up. Her gaze was caught.

A man who was a whole head taller than her, his dark slate grey eyes boring into her mind like a knife. His messy black hair nicely framed his well boned face. His smooth hands held onto hers strongly with an unwavering mighty aura around him.

"Oh, no problem." His voice blew Hinata away completely and she could feel herself melt. _Ahh he's so handsome…_ A voice broke through her thoughts.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?" Naruto advanced towards them. He gained consciousness as soon as Hinata had left. This guy was shifty looking, no matter what light you saw him through. "Are you okay?" He asked the girl, whose face had turned beet red. She blushed even darker as his hand found her shoulder. She nodded hastily before running in the opposite direction to the house. Naruto glared at the newcomer before chasing after her, calling her name.

The man paused, watching the two disappear into the forest. The hint of a smile appeared on his soft lips. "Looks like I've found what I've wanted…"

---

"What do you mean she ran away?!" Ino shouted, pacing around the kitchen with her hands over her head. Her cheeks still burnt and she could still feel Shikamaru's lips on hers. Sakura sat on the short wooden stool, cleaning up the mess she and Sasuke had made during their lust-filled encounter. Tenten stood at the bench silently, slicing up the beef for tonight's meal. All of them stayed silent as the thunder outside roared, courtesy of Ino's anger. The rain pouring outside no doubt was the work of Hinata and the three of them could tell by the amount of water falling that she was seething _mad_.

"I don't know. She took one look at me and Sasuke on the floor," her voice lowered. "Together, and well, she ran." Ino glared at the pink girl in anger. Hinata was the youngest out of all of them together and they considered her the little sister they had to protect.

"Damnit, where could she be?" The door slammed open and in came the girl in question, drenched completely from head to toe. Hair shrouded her pale face and a trail of water followed her into the house. "Hinata!" Ino reached out to hug her younger sister but was responded with a quick slap. Sakura and Tenten ran to the fallen girl, nursing her already-red cheek.

"Hinata! What's wrong with you?!" Tenten ordered, her eyes blazing. Hinata answered back with a glare.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? What's wrong is that I'M IN LOVE!" Silence echoed in the room. The other three stared at Hinata in amazement. Sakura was the first to break the stillness.

"Love?" The green eyed girl collapsed to the floor, wrapping her arms around her fragile body for a sliver of self-hope. "Is it love, Hinata?"

Hinata confirmed it by nodding her head, tears falling down from her eyes as well as the raindrops that drenched her hair.

"I know. Because this is the feeling I've never felt before."

_Hinata ran. She didn't want Naruto to chase her. Because whenever he was close, she could feel her heart pounding against her rib cage, threatening to break out. She could feel her blood rushing to her head, the countless thoughts of him clouding her sanity. _

It's like a disease…_She thought, _the Naruto fantasizing…_She grinned at her own joke but withdrew it when she reached the steep cliff. No way would she be able to climb up it with her geta on nor with her kimono. She turned around just in time to have Naruto hit straight into her, causing the both of them to tumble onto the floor. _

"_Oww…" She opened her eyes and immediately, that feeling rushed back. Blood hammered her ears as Naruto sapphire eyes opened themselves. She gazed directly into them as he lay atop of her. His weight crushed her but she didn't notice, because all her attention was diverted to the boy inches away from her face. The blonde boy blushed as well, leaping backwards, scratching his hair sheepishly. _

"_Uhh sorry about that!" He said, avoiding direct eye contact with her at all costs. She sat up once more; noticing that one sleeve of her kimono was pulled down, revealing her shoulder skin. Hinata drew it up slowly, biting her lip to hold herself back; but the burst of emotion set her free. _

---

Naruto placed his fingers on his lips; he could still feel the force of Hinata's lips against his. He shook it away and went back to the camp. Sasuke and Shikamaru sat by the fire, poking it absently. They didn't say a word when the blonde boy walked in. Neji exited his tent and sat on the log, rubbing his forehead exhaustedly.

"What a day." They all agreed silently, nodding vaguely. Suddenly Naruto spoke up.

"I saw someone walking through here. Did either of you's see him?" The other three shook their heads, turning back to the fire. Sasuke looked up.

"What? A _him_?" Naruto nodded and pointed at the road outside of the part they were camping.

"He was walking; the blue haired girl and I met him." The blonde boy screwed his face up. "I don't like him." Shikamaru shot up and grabbed his cloak, heading towards the cottage in the north.

---

The four girls ate silently, the clink of knives and forks only disturbing the silence. Hinata looked down at her plate, her salty tears falling down on her rice. She wiped them away hurriedly before placing her spoiled meal in the sink. She went to her room, as the other three watched her go to her room. The door shut behind her with a click.

"Poor darling…" Tenten muttered, placing down her utensils and taking a sip of water from the tumbler beside her. Sakura nodded in agreement while Ino was shoving rice in her mouth.

"Why can't she just embrace the feeling?" Ino spat out, sending rice everywhere. Sakura looked at her disdainfully, picking out the grains from her pink hair. "It's not as if it's going to kill her." Tenten sighed.

"Ino, we're witches. You can't expect us to fall in love and get married happily ever after. Witches like us aren't supposed to be loved or love in return. The only thing we're meant to do is to kill and distance ourselves from the real world."

"No." Sakura spoke up. "I think that's wrong." She looked at the two of them hopefully. "I want to change it! Why can't we live normally? Like the other girls!"

The door slammed open. The three of them jumped up, weapons in hand. Tenten gripped on the handle of her blade firmly, teeth gritted together. Hinata came out of her room, after hearing the sudden door open. She gasped.

"You…"

* * *

I noticed this is a much shorter chapter than the latest one but I really wanted to end it on the cliffhanger for you guys! 

Sorry for not updating in a long time. Please forgive and I'll update as soon as possible!

**Love **JunsuiFushichou


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